This invention relates to face plates for electrical outlets, and more particularly to a face plate including safety protection means which normally cover the socket receptacles of the electrical outlet.
Electrical outlets are generally placed throughout a building whereby electrical apparatus can be interconnected to the main electrical power lines. The electrical outlets typically include socket receptacles, generally of the duplex socket receptacle type, which are placed in an electrical box through which the wires are connected. In order to cover the electrical box and prevent access to the wires, a face plate is generally positioned over the electrical outlet. The face plate is usually shaped to cover the electrical box and overlap onto the adjacent wall to provide a decorative finish to the outlet. Openings are provided in the face plate in alignment with the socket receptacles, so that a plug can easily be inserted into any one of the socket receptacles. Typically, the face plates are provided with decorations to permit blending of the face plate into the surrounding decor of the wall covering.
Although the typical face plate prevents access to the wires in the electrical box, the socket receptacles themselves are uncovered and provide an attractive nuisance to children and other individuals, and thus may cause great harm. Because of the easy access to the electrical socket receptacles, a child can insert a piece of metal into the openings in the socket receptacles, and may be severly harmed. Also, even adults may accidentally push against the socket receptacles with a piece of metal and accidentally cause a short circuit or a fire by such accidental encounter with the socket receptacles.
In order to avoid the safety hazard of an uncovered socket receptacle in a wall outlet, there has been suggested numerous protective devices for covering the socket receptacle when not in use. Some of these devices include individual plates which can be selectively removed to uncover the socket receptacle which is to be utilized. However, these plates tend to get lost or misplaced, and are a nuisance to continuously remove and store. Other devices include a complete housing which fits over the face plate. However, such housing must itself be removed in order to gain access to the socket receptacles. Still other devices have included complex spring mechanisms which must be turned or pushed in order to uncover the socket receptacles. Because of these complex mechanisms, the cost of these devices are fairly high and their tendency to break is quite prevelant.
Additionally, most of the prior art devices were not very aesthetic. In most cases the safety protector constituted a cover member separate from the standard face plate. While the face plate may be specifically designed to meet the aesthetic requirement of the wall decor, the protective safety device was of a separate color or decoration and would not match the face plate or the wall decor. As a result, in order to achieve the safety needed, the aesthetics were sacrificed.